1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to construction material and especially to linear construction materials used to build a frame for a building and to sheet construction material which is attached to the frame built from the linear construction material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Construction materials are provided in both linear form and sheet form. Examples of linear forms of construction material include studs of varying length, such as 1.times.2 s, 1.times.4 s, 1.times.6 s, 1.times.8 s, 1.times.10 s, 1.times.12 s, 2.times.4 s, 2.times.6 s, 2.times.8 s, 2.times.10 s, 2.times.12 s, the first number indicating thickness and the second number indicating width of the linear piece in inches. The studs are normally 8 to 24 feet in length. Sheet construction material comes in sheets which are typically 4'.times.8', 4.times.10', 4.times.12', 4.times.16', the first number indicating width and the second number the length of the sheet. Sheet construction material typically varies in thickness from 1/8" to 1". Typical linear construction material is made of wood or metal while typical sheet construction material is made of wood or inorganic materials. Examples of sheet construction material includes plywood sheets, drywall, sheetrock and plasterboard.
Construction materials are made in predetermined dimension. Architectural plans, however, generally do not account for the predetermined dimensions of the construction material. This means that construction material must be cut to the correct size. Furthermore, when affixing sheet construction material to a frame, it is imperative to know where the frame or stud in the building is located. Thus, tools for measuring and drawing straight lines are essential tools at a construction site.
For example, with sheet construction material, the stud lines are marked every 16 inches on the sheeting materials so that there are exact spots to nail the sheeting materials to the studs. Each end of the sheeting material needs to be marked every 16 inches on top and the bottom so that a straight line can be drawn between the two marks. A level or any straight edge is used to connect the two points. This process of marking sheet material with stud lines is time consuming. It can also be dangerous because the measurements are often made after tacking the sheeting material to the frame. Thus, a carpenter is often working in dangerous areas while trying to draw stud lines. For example, on a roof or a ceiling. As should be appreciated, working on a ceiling is very dangerous if the sheet is not securely affixed to the frame since a worker is usually directly under the sheet material.
Another area that presents a problem is cutting of construction material. The carpenter needs to measure once at the top of the sheet and once at the bottom of the sheet. This is done so that the carpenter has two reference points to draw a straight line.
Other time-consuming areas that the carpenter may face are cut out areas, such as windows, doors, plumbing pipes, vents, and electrical outlets. This is time consuming given the fact that several measurements have to be made numerous times. When cutting out these areas, a carpenter needs to make sure that these cut out areas are "square" (level).
Another problem exists in placement of nails. There are no indications on how far apart the nails or screws need to be placed on the sheeting materials when affixing it to a frame. A carpenter normally uses his/her judgment and eyesight to place the nails or screws. It would take too long to measure nailing spots. In result, the weight of the sheeting materials is often not distributed evenly.
Also, in dry wall installation, if the screw misses the stud, it is backed out. Backing the screw out leaves a hole which must be filled in later. Filling in holes takes time and is costly and should be avoided, if possible.